Sanctity of Freedom
by Spoodlexiii
Summary: LoM. When the Hero, Valcrist, discovers what was in his past, he swears to recover what was taken from him, even at the cost of his free will.
1. Purpose

**Sanctity of Freedom**

**A/N: **First Mana fic, but I've been playing this game since I was at least six. Hope my fic's alright, and if you even so much as click on this, please let me know through a review. XD I like knowing what I'm writing is at least being glanced at. As for the name of the Hero, I used one of the names I usually got when hitting 'auto'. Enjoy :3

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The fire was warm. Rarely these days did he get to sit at home and enjoy it, and rarer still did he sit and dine comfortably with the two who watched his home while he was gone. Outside of his home, Fa'Diel was as troubled as ever, but for a moment, he felt there was time to relax. The dragoons were at peace, Daena was dealing with Matilda's death well, and for the moment, Elazul and Pearl were not in any sort of danger. Things weren't peaceful, but nothing was on the verge of destruction.

Bud and Lisa were sitting at the table on either side of him, making faces and eating happily. It was rare for them, too, to share meals with their master. Valcrist was comfortable, and having a full meal was doing wonders for his tired body. His cactus was peeking around, trying to be sneaky, but Valcrist knew that the plant wanted to see him as well. The attention he was receiving was making him wonder why he just didn't stay around more often. Night was falling, and he stood up from the table, leaving his empty plate.

"Lisa," he said softly, and the girl looked up. "Could you wash my plate for me?" The girl nodded feverishly, smiling, eager to obey. Valcrist offered her a vague smile as a silent sign of gratitude, and the young man went to a cupboard he kept behind the beaded-off room. He fetched a bottle of old wine, looking at it curiously, and went to the table to pour himself some.

Valcrist removed his hat, letting his curly hair fall over his shoulders and around his face. He was a slim, powerful young man. His arms were strong under his sleeves and his body was lean with muscle. His diet of little food and lots of fighting had turned him into a hard, calloused being for his age and it showed. Taking his hat and glass with him to a chair closer to the fire, he sat down and sipped quietly, tired and pleased.

"Hey," Bud said, moving to stand next to him, trying to tug his small little body up onto the arm. "Hey, Master, you hardly ever talk to us. I don't ever know where you come from! Me and Lisa, we looked all over to see pictures or maybe a diary, but there was nothing!"

"Bud," Lisa scolded. "Don't tell him we went snooping! Master, I'm sorry for his idiocy, and I'm sorry we snooped around. He is right, though--won't you tell us something about you?"

Valcrist glanced to Bud's curious, wide eyes and raised an eyebrow. With a vague smile to himself, he shook his head. "There is not much I recall about myself that you do not know," he answered in his low, quiet voice. "Before I met you, I woke up in my bed upstairs, and beyond that, I do not know much of anything." He sipped his wine, eyes turning to the fire. "I sometimes wonder if I was just created to serve the will of the Mana Goddess."

Lisa and Bud moved closer, the last statement catching their attention. "How can someone just be 'created'?" Lisa asked, arms hanging over the top of the chair and fingers in Valcrist's hair. Bud was sitting on the arm, his feet resting on Valcrist's thigh. The cactus had moved closer, hiding under the table, listening, trying not to make any noise as he moved.

Valcrist shook his head again. "Perhaps a Sproutling wished a person like me into existence to bring back the tree. That seems to be my purpose." The glass rested against his lips, eyes shutting. "But…I don't suppose that works here in the human world. I wonder where I did come from…"

"Ask Gaeus," Bud blurted out, ears twitching. "Ask Pokiehl, ask Selva, ask Olbohn--the Wisdoms hafta know, they know everything!" Lisa swatted at him, missing.

"Keep your voice down, no need to yell! He's right here. And do the Wisdoms really know everything, Master?"

Their Master didn't reply. The curly-haired young man was lost in thought, eyes distant, lips against the glass. What if the Wisdoms did know about who he was? What if Bud was right, and they knew? He drained his glass in a hearty swig, licking his lips after in wonder. Maybe the Wisdoms did know. Who would be the easiest to approach, though? Gaeus, maybe Tote, perhaps Pokiehl. They were ones who knew of the situations outside of their parts of the world best.

Then there were the dragons and faeries, too. Faeries trusted him, but still didn't like him. The dragons were old, and wise, and perhaps they knew of his past as well. If he had risen as a strong warrior that helped rebuild the world, perhaps he had strong ties to the Mana tree. Perhaps his parents had been sorcerers or fighters of the strongest sort, and he just couldn't recall? The possibilities were almost endless. He blinked, coming to, and looked to Bud and twisted to try and see Lisa. The two sorcerers looked back at him expectantly.

"Pardon me," he murmured. "I did not mean to ignore you. Did you say something?"

Lisa shook her head quickly. "No sir. Are you going to leave tomorrow? I wish you stayed around more often, Master, it's not healthy to be constantly running around like you do. You need to eat more too--dad always told us that being healthy made us strong."

"That's why we always had to eat our veggie-tables," Bud chimed in proudly. "And dad was always right." Valcrist smiled to himself, the company something he was enjoying quite a bit. He was always around people, but rarely did they just want to talk with him. Usually he was to be used as a tool. Not that he truly minded--maybe that was all he really was. A tool to fix the world. A tool to break the world. As he thought, all he could remember was being manipulated. From the episode with Drakonis to the deal with Irwin and the faeries, and even inbetween. He was okay with that. He doubted he had been around before the world fell apart--he had most likely been created by that single Sproutling to fix the world. It made more sense than if he did have a past. Perhaps, if he looked for a past, all he would find is misery that would prevent him from being a tool. He had a purpose, and as long as he had a purpose, he could hold up his fists and fight.

He dismissed himself after another glass of wine, and watched as his cactus made a mad dash to get upstairs before he did. He went to bed, and although he had told himself he was content in thinking he had no past, it began to bother him.

What if he did?

His dreams, usually empty or full of memories of his past few adventures, had twisted into something unfamiliar. Dreams of uncertainty and curiosity, no longer of the Mana tree or the Goddess but of what ifs and questions, plagued him. Uneasily, when he awoke the next morning, the day of Undine, he sat up and leaned back on an elbow, a hand resting on his stomach. The cactus was sleeping peacefully, his flower closed up snugly. Valcrist made a decision--he'd go and speak to a Wisdom, and if he knew anything, than he'd pursue this further. If there was nothing of his existence, he'd abandon this and forget it. It was not worth it to pretend he was anything more than a decisive pawn in this game of chess called Fa'Diel.

As part of his daily routine, he went down to the Orchards and picked the fruit that had ripened overnight. He gave the tree new seeds, but it seemed to notice his distraction.

"What is bothering you, human child?" it asked, moving a few branches as it spoke. Valcrist simply shook his head, making a noncommittal noise. Nothing a tree could help. The tree had grown back after he had awoken; it would know nothing about him. The tree took the silence as an answer and did not speak further. However, it began to use its deep connections with the rest of the world through its roots to seek something that would fit the mood of the young man.

Valcrist left the tree and went to the ranch. He fed and pet the monsters he had there; a Howler named Aer, a Poto named Izzy, and a Punkster named Shinji. He chose Aer to come with him for this adventure, for he never left without a pet. It was a comfort thing, he supposed. What other excuse could there be? The Howler was more than excited to join him, barking and yipping at his heels as the two left the ranch and headed toward the exit. Lisa poked her head out of the door, bleary from just waking up, and bid Valcrist goodbye. He didn't reply, and she didn't expect her Master to.

Valcrist looked out from home, at all of the parts of world spread out around from this place, and shut his eyes. His first stop would be to see the fortuneteller in Domina, so he could see which Wisdom he should turn to. The trip to Domina was short, as always, for it was directly south from his home. Valcrist and Aer went to the fruit-oriented fortuneteller and paid for her services. Within a moment's time, he got his answer.

"That is it! It would seem the place you ought to go is the Highway," she directed, and he thanked her. He left Domina and went east, and although in theory it should've been a straight shot, a complication arose. Daena was wandering at the entrance, looking vaguely lost and anxious, and she nearly lunged at Valcrist when he appeared.

"Valcrist!" she yelped, hurrying to his side, eager to see him. She paused, regaining her cool. "Valcrist. It's so good to see you. I was going to visit Gaeus; is that what you were going to do too? Would you come with me?" Without even thinking, Valcrist answered in the affirmative and they talked to Boink together to start off. The shortcut was so much easier than hacking through handfuls of Rabites and Black Chocobos, and from the fork they appeared at they began to travel to the right. As they were slashing through some anthropods, Daena turned to her silent companion and twitched her feline ears.

Valcrist spoke before she asked, his voice ever low and monotone. "My past. I want to know if he knows anything about my past."

She said no more, and they traveled and fought in silence. His statement must have piqued her interest, for she watched him with burning curiosity. No one knew much of him, and if he knew nothing, she became almost more thoughtful to his predicament than her own. It felt like she was the one doing the accompanying instead of the other way around, as it so often was the case. When Gaeus was in sight, she couldn't help herself.

"You truly know little of yourself? What do you know, then?" she asked, tail flickering, a hand letting her flail go limp. Valcrist kept walking, but his eyes were low, full of thought. It wasn't often he did this much thinking; he tended to just act out of instinct or do as he was instructed. He finally looked back to her, pausing, clenched fists loosening.

"I'm an object to be used," he answered quietly. "All I knew how to do was fight." Then he began to walk again. Daena moved quickly to catch up with him, minding his silence--Valcrist was never much of a talker--and they approached the giant Wisdom with respectful silence. Aer remained on the ground while the two young adults stepped onto Gaeus' large hand. He lifted them up, looking at them carefully, massive jaw moving as he spoke.

"_My children, what is it do you wish to ask?_"

Daena decided to get her problem out of the way early, and Valcrist let her speak first. "Ever since my friend has passed away, we have been unsure of who would become abbess. The faeries have been attempting to speak with us, but we cannot come to any solid agreements without an abbess. I was sent to ask you who should best become an abbess, do you know of anyone, Gaeus?"

The giant thought for a moment, eyes shutting as he pried at his thoughts. "_My child, I cannot make such a choice for you and your people. Perhaps you may not need a human abbess; the greatest barrier between the faeries and humans are a similar leader. You should speak with the faeries, child. Some may agree that a shared role will do both races well. A day should come where man and faerie can live peacefully together._" Daena nodded, not sure how such a thing could occur, but accepting the answer and letting it sink it. She stepped back, thanking the Wisdom, and Valcrist stepped forward, a hand holding one large finger to keep his legs steady. Gaeus looked to the young man and his ears perked forward in interest. Speaking with the boy was always interesting, he was such a unique character.

"_What is troubling you, child?_" he asked, and the young man lowered his gaze, unable to meet the giant's eyes.

"Do I have a past, Gaeus?" Valcrist asked unsurely. "Was I ever anything more than something to be manipulated?"

The question made the Wisdom's ears pin back and his eyes shut for a moment. The action made Valcrist's stomach tighten, but he didn't falter in expression or stance. This was the moment--did he, or didn't he? He'd find out know. The real question was, though, did he want to know? He was content with being an object, he was okay with being the Mana Goddess' tool. Did he really want to be anything else?

Finally, Gaeus opened his eyes and let his ears slide forward, watching the young man carefully. "_Young Valcrist,_" he spoke softly. "_You were not created as you think. We have met before, when you were but a young'un. Your mother died during child birth with your sister, a year after you were born, and your father still walks amongst us. Where, I cannot say. He would know more of your past than I do, child._" Valcrist was still, eyes vacant, faraway in thought.

A father. A sister. He had a father and a sister. He had been born. He was not created, he had a past. He had something more. He had a _father, a sister_! In a rushed breath, he thanked Gaeus, but the giant didn't set Daena and he down quite yet. With a note of finality and graveness, he said, "_What you do now, child, is up to you. Do not forget that you have been chosen to fix this world, and should you forego your current life in search of your family, the Mana Goddess will not hesitate in taking that away from you again. You have free will, child, and as unfair as it may seem, it is a privilege for you. Now, go._"

Daena was outraged, but Valcrist hadn't seemed to have heard. As Gaeus set them down, she fumed, eyes narrow. As they walked away, Aer at Valcrist's heels, Daena waited until the giant had fallen asleep once more before erupting.

"A privilege!?" she demanded. "A privilege! Valcrist, free will is not a privilege--Matilda died to prove that--how dare he say such a thing--are you listening!?" She tugged on his curly hair, drawing his attention. But there was an ecstasy on his face that she had never seen on his perpetually blank face. His eyes were wild with excitement and glee, a grin was across his face.

"Daena," he breathed, hands resting on his stomach. "Daena, I have a past. I have family. I have a sister, I have a father. I always heard Bud and Lisa, they always talked about their dad, but I couldn't understand their sense of loyalty to him. But now I understand. I must find him. I must find them."

Daena's ears slid back, eyes watching him sadly. A privilege. His freedom was a privilege. His right to raise pets, to sit and enjoy the company of his apprentices, to have friends--it was all a privilege. Matilda, the chosen for taking the spot of the seventh Wisdom, had spoken about freedom and the want to do whatever one willed to the last breath in her dying body. Yet, another Wisdom--one Daena admired very much--had told this young man, the same that had helped not only her and the faeries find a sort of even ground, but almost all the rest of the world with its problems, that he had a limited freedom. The Goddess, maybe a Wisdom, must've been the one to have wiped his memory of everything but fighting. She followed after the boy, who felt like he was walking on air. Daena came to a decision--she'd stay near him. She'd help him fight for his freedom. He wasn't an object to be used, he was a human being. She'd help him find his family.

No longer would Valcrist be a tool.


	2. Irwin Starts

**A/N: **Second chapter, whoo. Let's hope I can keep going. Read and review, please! :3

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Daena parted with him at the end of the Highway, and told Valcrist that she'd meet up with him later after she went back to see how the nuns were doing at Gato. Valcrist didn't go home after he left the Highway. Instead, he went back to Domina, planning on visiting the fortuneteller once more, but there he ran into another familiar face. Pearl was talking with little baby Pee-Wee, holding him very carefully in her arms under Miss Yuka's supervision. Valcrist approached them, and Pearl looked up at him, sensing his ecstatic mood. Miss Yuka, having never seen anything more than a frown or distant look upon the boy's face, seemed offset by his grin. He just didn't strike her as the type to smile often, if at all.

"Valcrist," Pearl said, then blushed, looking down. "You seem so happy. Do you want to hold Pee-Wee? Miss Yuka says he's gonna hatch soon." Valcrist looked unsure, but he held out his arms and let the girl slide the egg into his arms. Miss Yuka fluffed up her wings, but Valcrist was gentle. "So, what's going on, Valcrist?"

"I spoke with Gaeus," Valcrist replied. "He told me I have family. I've got a sister and a father. I'm not all by myself." Pearl gasped, then looked overjoyed at the news. Family was a personal thing for her. She had Elazul as a sort of brother, and she just couldn't imagine being all alone without him forever. It was exciting to know that the boy who seemed to always appear at the right moment, too, had family. "I want to go speak with the fortuneteller, perhaps she can tell me where I should start looking." Pearl clapped her hands.

"I'd love to go!" she replied happily. "Miss Yuka, can Pee-Wee come too? I promise we will be extra, extra careful! Promise!" The 'canary' looked unsure, then she sighed and smiled despite herself.

"Alright. So long as you are 'extra extra' careful with him. Valcrist, hold onto him, since you're a bit bigger, would you?" Valcrist nodded without thought. It came naturally, to answer positively whenever prompted. He couldn't help it. Pearl and Valcrist started toward the market-side of Domina, talking about what it was like to have family.

Pearl was almost more excited about this news than Valcrist was himself. "Maybe your dad was a super-strong warrior!" she was saying. "Or a real sorcerer! No, wait, maybe he's a Jumi like me and Elazul!" Valcrist chuckled.

"I doubt that," he replied, holding Pee-Wee carefully but steadily. The egg made a soft noise and squirmed in his grasp, and Valcrist chuckled again. "He's probably something simple. A miner, a blacksmith, a simple kind of guy. And I wonder what my sister is like. Do you think she looks like me any?"

"Yeah, but her hair probably isn't nearly as curly," Pearl giggled. The two laughed, and Valcrist took a moment to muse to himself. How often did he laugh before this? Probably never. He couldn't remember ever laughing. This was so…invigorating. It made him feel so alive. He'd never even thought feeling like this was possible. There was more to life than just being a tool and fighting. There were moments like this, playing with friends, that seemed so much better than just killing Mad Mallards and Needlebeaks all day.

They approached the fortuneteller and Valcrist paid again for her services. While the fruit-covered lady did her divining, Valcrist murmured to Pearl, "What day is it?"

"The day of Aura," she replied back, and Valcrist nodded. Time moved fast for him. He'd spent an entire day at the Luon Highway, and traveling back to Domina had taken up some time. Now he could see why Bud and Lisa always got so excited when he came home. He was always gone for so long.

The fortuneteller gained their attentions as she came up with her answer. She directed Valcrist to head to the Underworld, to speak with Olbohn. Valcrist nodded, thanking her, and they started back to go meet up with Miss Yuka again. Aer, the Howler, hopped along by Pearl's side, licking her hand excitedly. Pee-Wee was squirming again, trying to get out of Valcrist's hands to walk by himself. He was ignored. Pearl was speaking again, but this time, she looked up to him and gave him an earnest smile. "Make Elazul go with you to the Underworld, okay? For me? He's strong, and I know you're strong too, but…" She blushed, looking down.

"I won't be hurt," Valcrist promised. "But I'll ask if he'll come."

The two returned little Pee-Wee to Miss Yuka, and Pearl stayed with her to continue to play with the egg. Valcrist and Aer went to the bar where they had first met Elazul, and sure enough, there he was, sulking and polishing his sword in the corner. The other glanced up when the young warrior and his pet approached him, and Elazul was obviously uncomfortable with the smile upon Valcrist's lips. Unsurely, he raised an eyebrow.

"…Do you require something of me?" he asked dully. Valcrist explained Pearl's wish and Elazul's involvement. Elazul scowled. "You don't need me…But if Pearl wishes that I accompany you, than I shall. I have been curious about the Underworld anyway." Elazul left with Valcrist and the Howler, and the three set off toward the Underworld.

Along the way, they spoke very little, and they camped out at the entrance to Lake Kilma when a break was required. They ate salted Rabite that Aer had hunted down with Valcrist, and once more was Valcrist reminded of how much he enjoyed sitting by a fire. He stared into the very heart of the flame, thinking back to at least last week when Bud and Lisa posed the question in the first place. That wine had tasted good, and he found himself wishing for its sharp sweetness the longer he laid by the fire. His stomach was full of Rabite, and Elazul was stretching out the hide for future use, a sort of comfortable atmosphere over the both of them. Aer was fast asleep by his leg, snuffling and snorting as he slept.

Using his hat as a makeshift pillow, Valcrist laid his head down, getting hazy from the crackle of burning wood and the fading smell of roasted meat. As he began to drift off, Elazul looked over, watching the shadow of the fire dance on the trees behind him. Not wanting to break the silence they kept between themselves, Valcrist spoke nothing and merely shut his eyes. However, once his eyes were shut, he heard Elazul shifting around, and the Jumi stood over him. In a second's notice, the man nudged Valcrist's arm and alarmed him. Elazul drew out his sword, holding it out, squaring. "Ready your weapons!" he snapped to the young man on the ground. The noise alerted Aer, and the Howler was up, pawing at the ground and growling.

Valcrist tugged on his clawed gloves and squared in boxing position, eyes narrowed. A large, bird-like monster erupted from the forest growth, giant talons raised and open, ready to shred. It let out a snarl-like caw, and it flapped its powerful, multi-colored wings. It wiped out the fire in an instant, and the three lunged at the beast. Elazul and Valcrist slashed and punched at the monster, dashing back when the creature began to flash. This brought down a torrent of lightning bolts, and it wasn't long before poor Aer was knocked out, for the foolish thing couldn't comprehend when to run.

The bird-beast, Hue of the Breeze, knocked out Elazul, sharp claws throwing the warrior to the side like he was nothing more than a doll. He crumpled against the trunk of a tree, falling limp to its base. Valcrist was on his own.

"Nothern Lights!" he cried out, glowing, and he grabbed the ebast and swung it down hard. It let out a loud squawk, retaliating by snapping at him with its small beak. It was hardly worn out. Why would a monster of this strength attack them out of nowhere? Aer revived in the nick of time, and Valcrist leapt back and out of the way, healing. He was bleeding and his arm was cut up. Elazul was bleeding from his head and his leg, which now stuck out awkwardly. He revived not long after, and he stood up weakly, holding his sword awkwardly.

"Hang on," Valcrist urged softly, moving in front of him without thought. A tool. He was a pawn. And he had to let the real pieces in this chess game play at his sacrifice. Elazul shoved past him, chivalry making him uncomfortable, and he rushed forward. He struck at the bird with a yell, and Valcrist lunged forward with a fist. He jumped high up from the ground and boxed the monster's head, while Elazul slid his sword into the bird's gut. That did it. It let out a cry of agony, and Valcrist picked up his Howler. They retreated back and out of the way, only moving forward to collect the experience and money it left behind after it exploded into a collection of feathers and disappeared.

The Jumi limped on his injured leg back to where the fire had been, and Valcrist followed after, setting Aer down. They relit the fire, and once they had proper lighting, Valcrist moved to Elazul and drew out the bandages he always carried with him. Being a fighter, you had to be prepared. He wrapped up Elazul's hurt leg, using a relatively straight stick nearby as a brace. It looked broken, but Valcrist was no doctor. Lisa was usually the one he went to when he was hurt very badly. She was good at treating wounds. Elazul, disgruntled and uncomfortable with someone treating him, said nothing even after Valcrist sat back and began to wrap up his own cut up arm. Elazul eventually sat forward awkwardly and helped him tie it up.

"Thank you," Valcrist told him, and the Jumi shook his head in discomfort. They sat for a moment, recovering from the immediacy of the fight, and then Valcrist sat back. Through the exhaustion, he was captivated once more by the fire. He pawed at his eyes with the back of a hand, but this time, the Jumi decided not to let the silence lie heavy.

Elazul laid back onto his back, eyes shutting. "You've never known any different. Why does family interest you now?" Valcrist didn't reply, not at first. The young warrior shut his eyes, and thought. Why was this so important now? He couldn't understand family bonds; he did have a better grasp now, but just the other day, he couldn't comprehend the idea. Love was something he didn't know past the textbook definition and Gilbert's hopeless romantic antics. Yet he was supposed to be building a world out of love--why was he the chosen one if he couldn't even know how to love?

When he had woken up alone on that first day, there'd be nothing in his heart. No anger, no happiness, no remorse, no nothing. There was nothing. He'd talked to his plant, but the cactus simply kept on dozing and pretending he didn't exist. Perhaps, he had thought, he was a ghost. There had been nothing but…nothing. When he trailed down the stairs, everything was new but he felt so numb. It had been his house, but he hardly recognized it. Before he had left, his first emotion hit him--misery. Was he truly all alone? Was there no one? Who had decided this upon him, who had decided to cast him aside and cut him away from everyone else?

But when Valcrist had spoken with the lone Sproutling outside of his house, his heart had fluttered from the interaction. And as he left his home and was left to place the colored blocks, he figured it out. Instinct, pure instinct, told him what to do. He was supposed to fix what had become of the world. He hadn't be exiled, but chosen. The Mana Goddess had placed his home and allowed him to return, and had chosen him to fix the world. All of this, it gave him another emotion. Pride. But he soon figured it came with a price. When asked to do something, all he could think of doing was obeying. To do the right thing, to help people, and although these were truly somethings he shouldn't have felt uneasy about, there was something missing.

Now he knew what. A personality. A past. A person. He was simply an object, a pawn, with nothing to mark him besides his blind bravery and good heart. This was what he wanted. Gaeus could've told him he had no family, but so long as he hinted there had been a life before his memory seemed to be blank, Valcrist would've taken it and accepted it with such utter glee. Happiness was almost new to him, he'd never been downright joyous for himself.

When Elazul got no answer, and Valcrist simply laid down instead of shaking himself from his thoughts, they both went back to sleep.

By the next morning, the day of Salamander, Elazul was suffering. His leg hurt, but he refused to so much as make a noise of pain. Valcrist noticed how the other wouldn't touch the Rabite leftovers from the previous night, and he dug into his item bag. It was a piece of healing candy. "I was going to give this to Aer later on," he said softly. "But you need it a lot more. You won't stand a chance in the Underworld with a leg like that."

"I don't need your help," Elazul said stiffly. But he debated, then took the candy carefully. "…But thank you nonetheless." He ate it, and then let out an immediate noise of relief. He leaned his head back, then mumbled another noise of gratitude. He removed the brace from the bandages, but let the bandages on. The bone was mended, but the limb was still a bit cut up. Those talons were sharp.

When they were ready to move out again, they kicked out the fire and packed up the remnants of the Rabite meat. Aer kept to Valcrist's heel as they left Lake Kilma. They traveled out to the Underworld uneventfully for the rest of the trip. Valcrist knocked upon the tombstone above the ground of the Underworld. In a flash, they were below the surface. Having never been to the Underworld, Elazul was taken off guard, looking around in awe.

Valcrist noticed something off. A crowd of Shadoles was blocking the entrance to the levels leading down, chatting to themselves, murmuring. Valcrist approached them, but upon sight of him, they spun into themselves and disappeared. Elazul asked over his shoulder what they were, and he answered in a low, distracted voice. The two traveled down, careful to avoid fights where they could, but outside of Olbohn's room, another crowd had gathered. Here, Olbohn was standing and talking with a tall, heavily-furred demon. Valcrist had his gloves on in a flash, bending, ready to move forward and fight if commanded.

"What?" Elazul asked, drawing his sword unsurely. "What is happening?"

"A demon," Valcrist told Elazul softly. "Named Irwin. What is he doing here…?"

He quieted, moving forward unsurely, Elazul sticking close to him. They overheard the conversation over the heads of the Shadoles, but stuck low, so not as to disturb the curious Shadoles and lose their cover.

Olbohn's steady voice was darker in pitch; he was upset. "The monsters you have been stirring upon the surface is forbidden," the Wisdom spoke. "You belong to the Underworld now. How is it you have reached the surface, half-demon?"

Irwin snorted, ears pinning, tail swishing. "I am not on the surface, I have not been on the surface, so I do not understand why you scold me like I am a child. I was told that I could wish anything I wanted to into existence--I wished monsters, so I may torment the living."

"The bird," Valcrist breathed. Aer let out a low growl. The Shadoles, spooked by the noise, all disappeared and left the young warrior, his Jumi knight friend, and his pet vulnerable. Olbohn glanced over, then returned focus to Irwin. The demon growled, and turned to the one who had helped kill him. The demon disappeared as well, fleeing thanks to the distraction. Valcrist and Elazul straightened, sheathing and sliding off their weapons. Aer whimpered in apology. They all approached the exasperated Wisdom, who calmed and regained his typical tone of voice upon recognizing them.

The Wisdom gestured for them to return to his room, and they followed him in. "Valcrist, Mana Warrior, and Elazul, Jumi Knight," he spoke gently. "What is your quest here in the Underworld?"

Elazul spoke first, deciding to get his own agenda out of the way. Valcrist spoke nothing when the other stepped forward. "I wished to speak with the fallen Jumi Rubens, face to face. Can you make this so, and direct me to his room?" Olbohn nodded, gesturing to the Shadole on the other side of the room.

"Speak to him. He will take you to Rubens, and Rubens will hear and see you. I will place a Shadole outside of the room to take you back to the first level when you are done," Olbohn spoke, and then turned to Valcrist. Elazul looked to his friend, but the other was more focused on himself now, and Elazul left him in peace. Valcrist turned to the Wisdom, then looked down, humbled.

"Sir Olbohn," he started quietly. "I was told that I have family here in the Underworld. I was told…that my mother was down here. Is this true? If so…I wish to speak with her."

Olbohn looked at him, then shut his three eyes in thought. Elazul was gone by now, taken away by the Shadole. The Wisdom then opened his eyes and nodded, gesturing again to the Shadole. "Your mother has been here for a long while, you are correct. She is a spirit, but you will be able to speak with her. Talk to this Shadole and he will take you to where she is." Valcrist looked like he was going to fall down. Olbohn cocked his head, curious as to why the other seemed so shocked. "Yes, warrior?"

"…They…She exists? She's not just…just a story?" Valcrist asked quietly, eyes wide. "I really have a mother? I'm not being toyed around?"

Olbohn chuckled. "No, boy. You are not. Your memory was erased by Sir Pokeihl and Selva of the Four Winds just before the world was shaken and turned to pieces." Valcrist caught his breath, then looked down, eyes narrowed.

"So I was supposed to just end up the Mana Goddess' pawn," Valcrist mumbled. "Why have you told me such a thing?"

"You asked," Olbohn replied. "And Selva has been awfully bothersome lately. He keeps stirring up the demon Irwin, the warrior Escad, and the girl Matilda. You saw earlier. Now, go. I have business to attend to."

Valcrist thanked the Wisdom and took his leave, talking to the Shadole and being sent to the very corner of the depths of the Underworld. He wandered until he ran into a faintly glowing blue flame, and he approached it carefully.

_Who has come to bother me?_

Valcrist jumped at the voice, softly and delicately feminine. "…My…My name is Valcrist," he spoke softly. "I…Olbohn has told me that you are my mother."

_Valcrist?_

The boy nodded. "I…I have come to ask you…where my father and my sister may be. I lost my memory when the world fell apart, and since then I've only had to fight. I didn't know I had family. And…"

_Quiet, my son. It is alright. Give me a moment._

The blue flame flashed. In a moment, a lady, with a head of curly hair and soft eyes looked at him. Valcrist's mouth went dry, and he stood agape. His mother. It was his mother. Technically, they had never even known each other, and instead of something happening to Valcrist, all he felt was out of place. He closed his jaw and stood still, watching her faint image. She was transparent, and he knew without a doubt that this was his mother. But…he felt nothing. It pained him, it felt like he was missing something so important.

_You see me, yet you say nothing. This is what you wanted, isn't it?_

"…No, it's not," Valcrist finally admitted, licking his lips, looking down in shame. "This isn't it. Something should happen. This…I should happy, or relieved, or something…"

_What is it you really want, Valcrist?_

The boy clenched his fists, but couldn't think of what to say. Finally, he muttered out what he'd thought before, but hadn't spoken aloud. "I want…something to define me. I want…I want to be something more than a chosen solider. A hired arm--I'm not a mercenary for the Mana Goddess to use, and I need to prove it. But I have nothing." He tightened his jaw and became impassionate once again, eyes losing that excited gleam. He shook his head. "This was silly. What difference would there be if I had a family?"

_You know love. Our world was born on love and will be rebuilt with love._

Valcrist didn't reply. He didn't know love. He knew how exciting it was to think of a father, but he didn't know love. He was the one to change the world, and he didn't even come equipped with what the world needed the most. His mother flickered back into a soft blue flame, and she left him alone. He stood where he was, feeling useless, feeling pathetic, feeling…everything besides what he wanted to feel. He was about to turn, but all he got to see was a flash of color and the glint of a weapon before darkness consumed him.


	3. Escad the Dead

**A/N:**Three. Yay. R&R, luffs. Keep reviewing, and thanks so much to you few who are. :3 (PSST. KNOW ANY FANARTISTS? XD) You guys are really helping me stay dedicated. Oh, and...Escad! Yay!

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Valcrist stirred slowly, not to mention painfully. He lifted his head slowly, shaking it a bit to try and quicken his thoughts. At the moment, the only thing he was aware of was a very, very bad headache. He peered around, recognizing the same red stone and the same, dry air. It was still the Underworld. However, his Howler, Aer, was nowhere to be seen and Elazul's presence was absent. He was alone. Valcrist stood slowly, shaky on his legs, and turned around. There, he saw his captor. The young man held his sword out, stance solid and eyes narrowed.

"You, you and Daena," the warrior started, voice hoarse. "You killed me."

Valcrist looked around for a moment, keeping a careful eye on the one who had knocked him out. Twisting his neck, he could feel the dried blood. After getting a more familiar grasp of both Escad and the surrounding depths of the Underworld, Valcrist tugged on his gloves and readied to fight. His tangle of hair hung around his cheeks and just above his eyes, and he lunged. Escad readied for him, bringing his sword up, forcing Valcrist to change his direction. The two danced, a flurry of fist and sword. Valcrist landed a fair few punches, and Escad cut up the young hero's shoulders and leg well enough. But Escad could not bleed.

However, the warrior set down his sword when he had had enough. He swept his hair back out of his eyes and looked down at panting, tense Valcrist. "I suppose you continue to be the one worthy of life, while I do not. You did kill Irwin, and justice was preserved…But…" He went quiet, and Valcrist straightened, tugging off his gloves.

"Matilda would have died either way, Escad," the hero spoke. "If we could have stopped Irwin any other way, we would have. I hear he's been up to no good, even down here."

Escad trembled with silent rage, jaw tightening, and the man sheathed his sword in distaste. Turning away and beginning to walk, Valcrist limped after him, keeping stride at a menial pace. Escad spoke up to humor him, supposing that his victory earned him as much. There was no real anger between Escad to his killers. Matilda believed that people should do as they wished, and Daena and Valcrist have done just that. "Matilda was to become the replacement Wisdom for the dead puppeteer. The one who created that one doll. Selva is attached to her. As such, she has power, and she uses it to make Irwin happy. That bastard demon is out to destroy everything--again!--and I'm useless to truly stop him."

Valcrist nodded, ascending a staircase with Escad. "The demon had a monster in Kilma, and my partner and I were wounded by it. It isn't the only, I can assume?" Escad turned sharply, a rather fitting smirk across his features.

"You're catching on, aren't you? Take me out of the Underworld, take me to destroy the monsters, Valcrist. Irwin is a monster, alive or dead, and we need to stop his power before he becomes the next one to other throw hell. For all we know, Irwin could have gotten himself an above-ground proxy, much like Drakonis' dragoon." At Valcrist's raised eyebrows, he scowled. "I do my reading and my share of knowledge seeking, Valcrist. What else can I do dead?"

Valcrist smirked, but then held out his hand. "I'll take you above ground, if Olbohn allows it. Where are my pet and my Jumi friend, Escad? I cannot leave without them."

Escad sighed softly. "I killed your pet. I'm sorry. He was going to eat my leg if I did nothing. Olbohn's Shadole sent the other above to the surface, and I doubt that that self-centered Jumi would bother lingering around for you."

Escad watched Valcrist, curious as to how he would react, but the warrior simply began to walk on, face blank. There was no reaction. Was there no feeling? There was nothingness, and that was all.

"Does it not hurt you?"

Valcrist didn't respond, not at first, before he stopped and did nothing. Slowly, he shook his head. "…Should it?"

Escad shrugged. "In theory, such a reflex is what keeps us from killing those close to us. Daena killing me was such a demonstration of one overriding that….We did…were…" He struggled, but decided it was unnecessary, because Valcrist did not seem to understand as it was. He was greeted with the usual silence from the other. Such conversation out of him had been unusual anyway. It's not as if the other did much else besides help others, so it was a bit odd he couldn't understand how losing a relationship was supposed to feel. If it wasn't Escad, it was Daena. If it wasn't her, it was Niccolo. If it wasn't the rabbit, it was Elazul and Pearl. Valcrist couldn't remember a time when he did something just for himself.

It made Escad wonder aloud, in a mumble, "Is it possible for someone to be controlled without being directly controlled?"

The two continued back up and Valcrist greeted Olbohn in his room once again. The Wisdom looked at Escad and then back to Valcrist. "You may," he said, before the question was asked. "But only for small amounts of time, or you shall turn into nothingness, Escad." It was a fair enough deal, and Escad seemed only a little excited to be returning to the surface, so Valcrist had no complaints. Killing off monsters was something he was good at. So if that were now his job, he'd do it. His search for a personality could wait. His search for something more didn't really matter compared to the rest of the world's needs. Why argue…

Valcrist shook himself from these thoughts as they were traveling. They'd ended up further away from the Underworld than he had thought while he was thinking, for under their shoes was the soft feel of sand. Madora Beach. Escad moved to the water's edge, taking off his boots and tossing them aside, smiling to himself in a weird, off sort of way. Valcrist sided him, curious. Smiles were a rare sight on Escad, and the often appearances of them were interesting indeed. It seemed to be taking him off his usual one-track mind, anyway.

Escad turned to Valcrist, then tugged off his headband, letting his long hair sweep into his face. He undressed thereafter, much to Valcrist's humble surprise, and soon the young mana knight was standing there watching Escad move into the salty water. "Don't we have…a mission…" Valcrist tried to say, but Escad merely laughed at him.

"I didn't enjoy myself when I was alive," he said simply, leaning his head back into the water, eyes shut pleasantly. "The monster, it's up ahead, in that cave. But to be honest with you, Valcrist, I never saw a beach, even as a small boy. All I did was try to kill Irwin before he hurt Matilda. I was a small child swinging a sword bigger than my hands could hold. Daena was a kitten whose eyes were closed." Valcrist continued to stand on the shore, both awkwardly embarrassed by Escad's nudity and from his inability to understand what Escad was talking about.

Escad splashed. "Don't just stand there. Surely, you aren't a woman under man's clothes, are you? You shouldn't be so red in the face." He went out a little deeper, enjoying the warm, clear water and the hot sun. The scuttle of crabs on the shore and the cry of gulls were sounds unfamiliar to his ears, and for a moment, it was okay to be enjoying it. The monster would wait. It was not Escad's usual attitude, and it was making his stomach twist in inner anxiety, but once Irwin's monsters were dead, he would have to go back to where he now belonged. Was it wrong of him to enjoy a simple thing while he could? Valcrist didn't blame him. Besides, Valcrist smelled of blood and sweat, and having something of a bath wouldn't be so bad.

Valcrist joined him, stripping down and slipping into the water. The young man hissed and winced, pained. His cuts stung in the salty water, and soon he was just sitting up to his shoulders in water, eyes shut, lips tightly pressed together. Escad moved to him, rolling his eyes, and dunked him quite rudely, forgetting the nice little cut on the back of Valcrist's head. The curly-haired boy surfaced and moaned, gripping at his head.

"That," Escad said quietly, "That ache is what it felt like when Daena killed me. Worse, but you understand, yes? That is how you should feel about your dead pet. It's an ache, at first sharp, but dulling over time. But that sting doesn't go away completely. I felt like that when Matilda allowed Irwin….that monster, to do what he did to her. I felt like that when I was considered the bad guy for wanting to do what should've been done much sooner, before Irwin became powerful. I can't tell you how hurt feels. How can you describe color to a blind man? But I can try to help you understand pain."

The two were quiet while they were in the salt water for the rest of the afternoon. As night began to fall, they removed their wrinkled bodies from the water and Valcrist pulled out a harp from his item bag. He played a spell, just on a higher octave so the water spell wouldn't drown them or hurt them, just wash away the salt. Escad still let out a gasp. "My God," he breathed, clutching at his ribs, eyes wide. "That was _freezing_! I think you stopped my heart." Valcrist laughed. "A smile…" Escad mused to himself. So it was possible after all. They redressed, and Valcrist described his distress when his hair was just too frizzed out to allow his hat to be tugged on officially.

"This humidity," he moaned. "It's terrible. How do you maintain your hair as such, Escad?" Escad tugged on his headband to keep his hair out of his eyes, shrugging. He didn't fuss with it too much while he was out adventuring.

Escad pulled out his sword, moving to Valcrist, and he took a large chunk of the other's messy hair. "I'm going to help you see, blind man," he said in a low, demanding tone. "And the first thing we're going to do is make you your own person. You just think you're an item in a game, don't you? I thought so. You don't feel what you should to function. I'll change that. So when I have to go back to the Underworld, I'll know you're living vicariously for me. Daena would want me to be happy, wouldn't she?" Valcrist didn't complain, but as he saw his hair begin to fall in front of his face, he moaned, reaching and taking a soft curl.

By the time Escad was done, light was gone, and they were dried. Valcrist's once-long hair status had been reduced to hovering over his ears and eyebrows, and no longer down his neck and back. He tucked his hat back on, head feeling ever so light, and then tugged on his gloves. With a nod to Escad, who smirked back at him to further his point, they placed their palms against each other.

"Make that a promise," Valcrist murmured, and Escad grinned.

"I promise to change your mind. You aren't a tool. You're this world's savior. Who knows," he added, pulling back, smirking. "While we're monster hunting, we could run into your family. I was overhearing your talk with your mother."

"Bastard," Valcrist spat playfully, and the two set their sights on the cave. With even stride, they rushed forward to take on the monster in the darkness.

And with even grunts, they were thrown back. They tumbled and regained their footing, squaring with a glint of sword and a crunch of thick leather. The monstrosity thundered out of the cave, then let out a loud hiss, throwing its head about. The light was irritating the beast, no matter how dim it was. But with this faint moonlight, Valcrist and Escad understood better what they were to fight.

It had clawed fins, and a long, swishing, finned tail. The skin about its body was coarse and thick with slime, running and staining the sand beneath its massive girth. Its head, perched atop a long, heavy neck was heavily horned and multi-eyed, and through the gnarled mess, a single, crystal jewel was hidden behind the creature's forehead. It had a decayed feel, and smelled so terribly that Valcrist had to double over and try not to be sick. He shot a look to Escad in irritation, gesturing to his nose. Escad shrugged. "Dead can't smell," he replied simply, and Valcrist flipped him the bird before turning on the rotted sea monster.

This creature, Kalypso the Mermaid, let out a roar and began to flash. The battle had barely begun, and already they were being nailed with strong attacks. Water shot down from the sky, and Escad expertly ducked to the side, while Valcrist (still staggering from the smell) took the hard water and crumpled for a moment. This fight was brutal. Escad showed his talent as a master swordsman, and the fresh air of the Aboveworld seemed to have given him a life and a purpose Valcrist couldn't remember seeing during the time they'd both been alive. Escad had a few things going for him that Valcrist did not have, such as the lack of sense of smell and the inability to be truly hurt.

Kalypso slashed, bit, and rammed at them, but when she dived down her head, Valcrist would stuff his fist through the mess of horns and make contact with that jewel. It resulted in some hefty damage, for the creature would scream out and thrash, tail swiping under the boy's feet. This battle was long, and although hard, it found to be tedious after a spell. The repetition grew on Valcrist, but it paid off, and the beast was felled after Escad shoved his blade through the thick chest of the monster and cut into its many hearts.

It left behind experience, but Escad did not move in, allowing Valcrist the spoils of the kill in his stead. "You still need to grow and learn," Escad said pleasantly, that odd little smirk on the edge of his lips. "You're going to save this world, right, Valcrist?"

Valcrist smiled back, warmed. "Yeah, I will. But I'm going to do it on my own terms." He gathered the experience, breathing out softly as heat spread through his body. Escad sheathed his blade and began to walk away from the beach and the shore. Escad probably needed to hang around at the Underworld for a time, to renew his spirit so he did not disappear. That would truly be a sad fate indeed. As they walked, Valcrist rested his hands on his hips.

"How many monsters do you think Irwin released?" he asked. Escad didn't speak at first, and ended up just shaking his head.

"He couldn't have released many. He is dead, and I never thought of him as one for having a large imagination, and although Olbohn has been complaining of Selva's actions, Selva would never give too much power to a dead man. Or woman, for that matter," he added. "Matilda would give everything she had for that damned demon, and she probably is. No doubt he's just using her strength to create these monsters."

"Wisdoms like to poke their nose around in human interactions, don't they?" Valcrist murmured. "I was told it was Pokiehl and Selva that erased my memory. They probably did it because the Mana Goddess told them to…"

Valcrist winced sharply, having received a nice slug onto his arm. Escad looked a tad touchy. "The Mana Goddess wants to save this dying planet and our dying life. You've been blessed, you were chosen by her. So what if you don't get to lay around all day and drink, you have a purpose in that. You probably would've spent your life fighting monsters anyway. It's in your blood."

Valcrist spoke nothing, but his resolve was a little shaken. Escad must've realized how contrary he must've sounded and he shook his head with a sigh. "I mean, Valcrist, I was born to stop Irwin. You were born to save us all. Perhaps, along the way, you began to move away from that pathway, and you lost your immediate free will as a result. I didn't say it was fair--" he added quickly again, seeing Valcrist's eyes harden. "--I was just stating that you had a purpose, and just needed to be steered in the right direction. So perhaps the Mana Goddess' original attempt to guide you backfired, and she had to resort to her next plan. Understand?"

"You talk too much," was Valcrist's quiet, simple reply. He wanted to think. Escad's words probably rung quite true, and it made his current situation feel less forced and bitter, but there was still something like hatred nestled in his ribs. For the rest of their trip, he stayed quiet, mulling over his thoughts and the possibilities. His final decision was that if he encountered Pokiehl, whom Valcrist used to silently admire, he'd ask him for a 'story' about his past. Pokiehl wasn't unkind, and was a bit blunt if anything. As most Wisdoms were, anyway.

They reached the Underworld, and Escad went under. Valcrist sat down by the tombstone, and pulled his knees to his chest. Exhaling quietly, he went into a soft sleep, making up for his recent amount of days without such. As he slept, he dreamt, and he dreamt of his dead pet, Aer. Something ached in his chest when he thought of the creature, and even in his sleep, the young hero smiled to himself.

Mourning and sorrow. Feelings he'd yet to experience were now present. He was another step closer to discovering his true personality and all of his emotions that had been locked away. He'd save the world, and he would do the Mana Goddess' bidding, but he would do it for his sake just as much as everyone else's.


	4. Searching for Faeries

**A/N:** Chapter Four. Lookin' good, keeping' strong. My few reviewers, I'm keeping strong for you. Thanks so much; I almost lost focus. Your tips and advice are really helpful, and I appreciate them a lot.

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A lone girl was crying. She sat by herself in the depths of the Underworld, her knees to her chest, her eyes closed. Selva of the Four Winds appeared beside her, coaxing her quietly with words. Wishing to both calm her and listen to her woe, he plopped down on the ground and watched the girl, letting her mumble her distress and shiver with sadness. Her tears ran and ran, trailing down her round cheeks and disappearing before they touched the rock beneath her. They spoke in low voices, and when the girl had finished her tears, Selva whispered to her and disappeared. She sat where she was for a bit, then stood. Just as she started to walk off, another figure appeared; this one being the source of her distress and the focus of her love. The demon listened to her words, her begging, her pleading, and he ran his claw-like fingers gently up her cheek, touching her tears. For a moment, it looked like the demon had caved to her, but then he pulled his fingers back and disappeared, renewed with the girl's strength. She sat back down where she was, and just wished the demon to be happy.

"You haven't eaten in a while," Escad said, playfully jabbing Valcrist in the side with his sheath. The curly-haired other stirred from his thoughts, blinking around. He self-consciously ran his fingers down his front, wondering what Escad's indication had been. Escad chuckled, amused. "We travel for days at a time, and you barely eat anything. It doesn't take one of the teachers at Geo to tell you your system's unbalanced."

Valcrist still wasn't following. He gestured with his hands, indicating his lack of understanding.

Escad rolled his eyes. "That's why you can barely keep your eyes open, Valcrist. I don't need to eat. You cannot forget to do so just because you're with me." At the next fork in the road, he changed their initial direction, heading a different way. They'd been heading toward the White Forest, because Escad had overheard a few Shadoles discussing a few deaths from that area while he'd been resting in the Underworld. Now, it seemed they were heading to Home. It'd been at least a good month, maybe two, since he'd been home. Time passed so fast, and he hardly realized it. It felt like only yesterday had he teamed up with Elazul to go to the Underworld. He never noticed how quickly the days passed. Escad had a perfect sense of time, and he always seemed to know what day it was, but Valcrist was pretty sure he couldn't even remember all the names of the days. It wasn't something that mattered to him.

The familiarity of home relaxed Valcrist, and he smiled when he saw the usual congregation of Sproutlings hovering around in front of his house. They all greeted him as he came home, and Escad simply smirked to himself. Valcrist knew what he was thinking; _The Sproutlings are attracted to the one who's supposed to bring the Mana tree back to life, isn't that cute?_ Alright, so maybe those weren't Escad's exact thoughts, but Valcrist knew it was accurate enough. He opened his front door slowly, feeling quite queer bringing a dead man home with him, but considering his lifestyle, it wouldn't take any of his other house-mates by surprise.

As soon as he stepped inside, two little apprentices glued to his legs and Pearl let out a happy cry. Escad mused to himself, and disappeared, heading off to go check on Valcrist's pets. He still bore guilt for killing Valcrist's pet Aer, anyway. Valcrist let him go, he had some younger folks to greet. He fondly pat Bud and Lisa's heads, and then looked to Pearl with an inquisitive eyebrow raise. She blushed at the attention, looking away and flustering.

"Elazul, he said I should come here. Elazul learned something from Rubens, that's what he said. And he said I should trust you to come home as soon as you could."

"I would'a protected her!" Bud said loudly standing back and jabbing his thumb into his chest, trying to look older than he was. "Nobody was gonna hurt Pearl! Not when Bud the Malignant was around, no sirree!" Lisa rolled her eyes, then looked up to Valcrist.

"He's an idiot," she said dismissively. "Master, I was preparing us all some lunch. You look hungry. Will you be staying long enough to eat? It's all fresh fruit from your orchard."

Valcrist ran his hand over her hair again, more exhausted than he'd previously thought he'd been, and thanked her for her offer. She scrambled back to a counter in the beaded-off room, climbing up and onto it so she could reach all of the fruit she'd been cutting up there. He followed after her, getting his wine, heart pumping an extra beat in eagerness of that simple little treat. He poured himself a glass, debated, and poured Escad one too. There was doubt that Escad would spend all day outside. He was a little too sociable-feeling to isolate himself completely. Bud and Pearl began to yabber about stories they'd had around his house, like playing with his Cactus and the Sproutlings.

Lisa served the fresh fruit, and Valcrist eagerly partook in the eating. The fire, his chair, the sharp wine, the relaxing air of conversation and pleasantry was something Valcrist found so refreshing, and he supposed that was one of the few things he desired the most. Peace at mind, peace with himself, and peace with the world. Food in his stomach felt good, and he knew that remembering to eat was important. Escad had caught him before he got too tired or too weak, and he was thankful for the other's concern. Death had taught that other a great deal about others, and it was interesting to see how it was changing his outlook on the people around him. As Pearl and Lisa began to talk about hair, Bud climbed up into Valcrist's lap, startling the other out of his thoughts.

"Master," he said quietly. "I left home the other day. I took your Poto with me, so I wasn't all alone. We went to Gato, 'cause Lisa told me I couldn't make it there in one piece, and I saw a Wisdom there!"

"Really now?" Valcrist replied vacantly, only barely listening. His thoughts were elsewhere, mainly at the White Forest. Was a monster there? Would the dragon there and Sierra have taken care of that…? It would be best to ask anyway…

"It was Tote, Master Valcrist!" Bud exclaimed excitedly. "I saw him, I really did! Lisa won't believe me, and Pearl doesn't know who he is."

This caught Valcrist's attention. He glanced to Bud with a little more focus, and he sipped at his wine. "At the Grottoes?" A memory came back, one of Daena speaking with Gaeus. Faeries often hung out at Lake Kilma, and for a moment, he got a nagging feeling that Tote wouldn't leave the forest for some tea at the Grottoes. Some major politics were going over, weren't they? Tote talked of the Faeries often, and it would make sense if he were to be involved. Valcrist finished his glass of wine, and gently nudged Bud off of his lap. He started to stand, but Bud looked alarmed.

"No!" he said quickly, grabbing his pantleg. "Don't go, not so soon." At this moment, Escad slunk into the house. He noticed the glass of wine set aside for him and he swooped it up, leaning against the wall and staying out of the conversation. Valcrist paid him no mind. He looked down at Bud, then to Lisa and Pearl, who were watching him worriedly. Valcrist continued to try and stand, but Bud tugged on his pant leg again.

Escad swallowed quietly, raising an eyebrow. "I have a while before I need to head back to the Underworld, Valcrist. I don't mind doing some chores in your yard for a while. The kids are right, I think you should sleep away a day or two. For a brainwashed warrior of Mana, you sure don't keep yourself in the right health for such a task."

Valcrist gave Escad an even look, who just stared right back, and he caved. He sighed quietly, and just poured himself another glass of his wine. "I suppose if it will not endanger you, Escad. I do have a feeling something is going on with Daena and the Faeries, and I don't wish to stay here long."

"Fine," Escad agreed, looking a little arrogant at his easy victory. "And this stuff is good, Valcrist." He gestured with his pinky to his now-empty glass, and Valcrist smirked lightly. He dismissed himself for bed, and the four watched him disappear up the stairs. The Mana knight talked to his Cactus for a while, describing his past few adventures, and then he moved to his bed. As he collapsed into the comfortable sheets, he passed out and into sleep instantly. Comfort was something of a commodity to a traveler such as he, and compared to the tombstone he'd slept against the other night, this was like sleeping atop a cloud. It gave him good dreams; dreams of peace between man and faerie, dreams of being happy with no purpose, dreams of figuring out who he was. It was good to him, and it allowed him to rest longer than he thought he could.

--

During his sleep, a horse-like monster described as Pertacles stampeded through the White Forest, closely pursued by a pair of Dragoons. A giant dog called Canis thundered up and down the Luon Highway, killing any who crossed his path. A moth the size of a home, Masque, terrorized the Bone Fortress. These were the monsters borne of Irwin's imagination, creatures of power but not of health. It would take little to slaughter them. Irwin's strength, stolen from Matilda's good heart, wasn't powerful up on the surface, and his creations lacked. So the demon dedicated his time now, while man was distracted and the faeries were plotting, to focus his energies on a single creation. One that would kill the Mana Knight, and end the recreation of the world. His plans began to unfold.

--

"A day and a half," Escad mused, sitting on the floor, Lisa sleeping in his lap. Valcrist had tumbled down the stairs, pawing at his eyes and mumbling sleepily about the time he'd been asleep. Escad had been amusing the younger members of the household with stories and tales of faeries and demons, and Lisa had drifted off during one of his retellings. It was dark outside, and late in hour, but Valcrist was ready to head out. He grabbed some cut-up Orcaplant and ate it crudely, hat hanging from his arm. It'd fallen off during his sleep. Escad, sensing Valcrist's readiness to leave, slipped out from under the little girl and stood next to him. "I'm ready to go if you are. You look much more rested, Valcrist."

"I am," the warrior agreed, licking at his fingers, tugging on his hat. He shook out his head for a moment, still getting used to the shortness of his hair. Escad noticed and rolled his eyes. Valcrist spoke again, "We're not going straight to the White Forest, though. We're going on a reasonably brief detour. Can you handle that?"

Escad shrugged, grabbing his sword, which lay against the wall, and following Valcrist out the door. The other house members were sleeping. No need to disturb them. Valcrist told the Sproutlings they were leaving, so they'd pass the news onto Bud, Lisa, and Pearl, and then he and Escad were off to Gato. Escad figured out where they were going as they walked along the outskirts of Domina and the Luon Highway. He grew tense, but said nothing. Gato would not be an awkward place for him, if not unpleasant. Valcrist understood this and paused once they reached the very bottom of the climb up into town. He turned to Escad, looking him over, and was about to give him permission to go off on his own when he was distracted.

Elazul lept down from the rock edge in front of the shop, hurrying in front of him and looking unusually excited. It wasn't like the Jumi warrior to look anything but calm, collected, or agitated. The Jumi gestured back toward the town. Escad rolled his eyes, deciding on ignoring him all together. The Jumi gesticulated for a moment, struggling for words, then finally spoke out when Valcrist crossed his arms. "Faeries. There are faeries all over this place. I've seen more than a few Wisdoms coming in and out of here as well. Something large is happening. You seem to be aware of many things, Valcrist; do you have any idea what is going on here?"

Valcrist almost opened his mouth to obediently spit out what he was asked, but then he decided against it. He shook his head, playing the fool. He had a pretty good idea what was going on, but something in his gut made him want to have Elazul tag around. "Will you find out with me?" he asked instead, and Elazul blinked at him, then debated mentally. Escad snorted, but said nothing.

"Yes, I shall. I have finished my personal chore, and Pearl has taken up residence at your home," Elazul said slowly, quietly, and Valcrist nodded to confirm the latter portion. So they became a trio; Valcrist the Mana Soldier, Escad the Dead Warrior, and Elazul the Jumi Knight. Valcrist smiled to himself for a moment, the sense of company he often got at home touching him here. Being around people he cared for made him happy. And 'happy' was something he didn't feel often enough. The group of fighters ascended up into the town, passing by gossiping nuns or the occasional student. As they reached the fork, their path became obstructed. Nuns and faeries alike were chattering eagerly, looking over and past each other, eyes swung to two figures standing tall before them all.

"Is that--" Escad started, despite himself, and Valcrist finished for him, "--Daena!?"

The young cat lady was standing proudly, head up high, her ears set back. Besides her was a petite little faerie with broad, large wings. And Tote stood before them both, chuckling in a low sort of way. His chortles silenced the talk from the on-lookers. "That is the decision the humans and the faeries have made, together, then?"

"It is," Daena spoke, and her faerie counterpart nodded. Tote chortled some more, nodding his weary head.

"Then let it be so. This faerie, Kallryol, will officially become the new abbess, bonding man and faerie together onto a path never yet tread." The faeries and nuns cheered excitedly, fluttering and buzzing with unheard of friendliness toward one another. Escad watched in awe, looked to his hand, and turned away. Valcrist didn't ask why; he had a pretty good idea. Elazul wasn't familiar with Faerie folk, not like Valcrist and Escad were, and so this was something completely new to him to see so many faeries in one place. Daena was glowing with pride and happiness, and she turned to her new abbess, who was clapping her hands and smiling happily.

Escad tugged on Valcrist's elbow, grabbing his attention again. His voice was low, and his eyes were on the ground. "…Valcrist, something isn't right. I can feel it. This isn't right. Something's wrong."

"Don't turn something good into something suspicious," Elazul scolded, looking over his shoulder. "This could be a step toward complete equality. And then…" His core flashed, and though they both understood what he meant, Escad remained an unhappy man. Valcrist didn't see what Escad saw. All Valcrist could see was two creations of the Mana Goddess deciding to get along under an equal cause. He'd help them out, however he--No. No, he didn't have to help them out. It was exactly what he was supposed to do, but he didn't want to. He wanted to kill Irwin's monsters and find his personality, not go on a massive faerie-to-human peace adventure. He'd already helped destroy more than one faerie master, he'd rather not be involved again. Things could solve themselves. They had to. Not everything needed his tending to.

"Daena!" Valcrist called, waving out his hands, standing up on his tip-toes so he could be seen over the heads of faerie and nun alike. The cat's keen ears caught his cry, and she turned to look to him, and she instantly slipped through the dispersing crowd to reach him. She was caught off guard by his two partners, and even more so by the one who was dead. Escad and she stared at each other for a long while, saying nothing, doing nothing, until Daena looked down and almost started to walk off. Valcrist caught her shoulder and forced her to stay. He decided that it would be best if he didn't say anything on their situation; they could sort it out later. "You took Gaeus' advice, did you? So that faerie is now your abbess?"

Daena was visibly grateful for his false ignorance. She perked right back up. "Yes! I did! And Kallryol is a wonderful faerie, she's so very wise. Her kind chose her to be a candidate when I offered the idea. The nuns didn't complain, and they agreed upon it. It went so well. With the Wisdoms coming through here on and off, speaking with us and confirming what we were going to do, it made many folks excited. And Tote accepting Kallryol is excellent news; I'm so glad, Valcrist." She took his hands and almost began to purr, but then she gave him a gentle smile and just squeezed his hands.

"What about you, Valcrist? How has your search gone? Have you found your family?"

Valcrist shook his head. "No. I met my mother, but she was of little help. I've been distracted. Irwin's been setting loose monsters, and Escad and I have gone off to fight them." He paused, seeing her gaze harden and grow angry. "On my own will; I chose to do this. I wanted to."

"Valcrist, we're working on that 'free will' thing with you," Daena scolded. "Of course you 'wanted' to! That's what you always think. Escad, Jumi, haven't you two even been trying to help him out? Or have you been too busy running him around doing your chores?"

The two looked away, feeling guilty. They hadn't been trying to drag Valcrist around, and it felt like they hadn't, but they had been doing their share of tugging him around. The cat's tail flickered. "I can't believe you two. We're going to help him find his father and sister, and we're going to do it now."

"No, we have to stop Irwin's monsters," Valcrist cut in. "The Dragoons Larc and Sierra, they could use my help…" Daena's glare made him quiet and realize how his words sounded to her. For some reason, none of the young men were surprised when they were being guided up toward the abbey, Daena in something of a huff. She left them in the main lobby, but Escad followed after her. For their privacy's sake, Elazul and Valcrist remained in the lobby. They were silent, almost afraid of both being overheard and being unable to overhear Escad's and Daena's conversation. After a few moments of silence, Elazul cracked an ever-rare smile. Valcrist began to snicker, despite himself.

"You don't need to find your family," Elazul murmured to him. "She might as well be your mother."


	5. Enter Estelle

**A/N: **Chapter five. Whoot! Please keep reviewing, folks, so I stay motivated for you. :3 As for Ms. Herione's name, I did the same thing I did with Valcrist's name; I just hit auto a few times.

* * *

Estelle's body was heaving. Blood ran down from her palms and down her shoulders, and her eyes were narrowed and full of rage. The girl held her staff tightly, the pole quivering with her shaking hands. In front of her was a monster, a specter-stallion with many, large hands and strong legs. The horse-beast, Pertacles of Words, taunted her and goaded her with speech. The world began to blur and rock, and the girl felt her footing begin to slide under her. _Is this death?_ she thought. _Do I have to die now? I haven't finished my training! I can't die!_ She swung her pole down, using it to help support her weight, eyes glaring through locks of hair and blood. The young lady straightened herself up the best she could, but before she knew it, she was trapped in the grasp of the monster's hand.

As her world began to darken, she yelled out and tried to scream, but all that left her was a weak noise. "_Don't worry_," the monster told her. "_It'll be_--" A loud yell rang out, and the hand was sliced off by an axe. Two dog-faced dragoons came from the trees, and the monster was sliced to bits within seconds. Estelle fell to the ground, numb and hurting, but she just couldn't bear to let her eyes close. She watched until the very last moment as the more feminine, whiter dragoon came to her and scooped her up. Then, feeling more safe, she slipped in unconsciousness, and let the darkness take her whole.

She stirred not too long later, at the foot of a tall, white dragon.

"_Estelle_," Vanadise spoke, her head angled down to watch her. The girl sat up, feeling dizzy and weak, but looked back up blearily. "_I have tried to heal your wounds. Do you hurt anywhere else?"_ Estelle shook her head, sliding off the root she had been atop of and standing weakly on her own feet. When she began to lose balance, the white dragoon was instantly at her side, helping her up. Estelle thanked her in a quiet, stressed voice. "_Young girl, what were you doing in my forest that caught the attention of the Pertacles_?" Estelle blinked, her memory foggy for a moment, then she slowly recalled.

"Oh! Well, um…"

"She's Vanadise," Sierra contributed quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must've forgotten," Estelle said, feeling a tad slow. Her head wasn't wanting to think very fast. "Vanadise, I was training in your forest. The monsters around here are stronger than the ones closer to home in Geo. I came across Pertacles along the way, and I tried to fight him, but I'm not that strong alone. I'm usually with my Pet, or some friends."

"_Where is your pet?_"

"She's with my father," Estelle said simply, then moved away from Sierra, thanking her for her assistance. "I'm sorry I was in your forest without permission, Vanadise." The dragon was quiet, watching the girl, then she looked to Larc and Sierra. Larc was hanging around on a root, looking a bit bored, and Sierra was standing close to Estelle, willing to catch her should she lose her balance. The girl was quiet, watching the dragon, just as the beast watched her back. Then the girl grabbed her staff, which Larc had been thoughtful for bringing along with them, and held it loftily. "Are there more of those monsters, Vanadise?" Larc responded to this instead of the dragon.

"Of course there are!" Larc snapped. "I was going to leave to kill them all. They're pathetic, simple beasts! You had Pertacles half dead before we came along; a few more strikes and the creature would've fallen. But if they're this simple, this means there has to be more of them."

Estelle smiled, wiping at the dried blood on her face. "If you don't mind, Dragoon--"

"--I'm Larc, girl--"

"Then I want to join you. I don't want to be the only near-dead victim of such beasts." Sierra kindly checked her over once more, ensuring there were nothing more than bruises and minor cuts, and then the female Dragoon turned to her master. Vanadise looked faintly amused, and for reasons Estelle couldn't imagine, the dragon laughed to herself. With a simple gesture of her claw, Sierra nodded and smiled to Estelle. There it was; two sibling Dragoons and a total stranger with sticks in her hair off to slay monsters. Larc's body was tense and excited, and the thirst for bloodshed was apparent in his grin. Sierra, while not as murderously deadly, seemed just as excited to go off on a mission. Estelle had never gone off on a large-scale mission before herself, but her father used to tell her all about adventures her brother used to get into, even when he was a boy.

After the Dragoons prepared themselves, and Estelle had made sure she was steady enough to handle the long walk to Geo, they set off. Estelle and Sierra talked while they traveled, and even continued their discussions while they vanquished some Rabites and Grey Oxen that got in their way. They left the White Forest, Larc taking the lead and the girls talking about girl things. Estelle told Sierra about her father, and her deceased brother. Sierra spoke about her life as a Dragoon, but she grew uncomfortable when her story grew nearer to Larc's allegiance to Drakonis. It was hard to leave him out of the conversation completely, considering that they were brother and sister. Estelle caught on, and decided to take a new tactic.

"Larc," the girl said, tilting her head. "You're a Dragoon, too, aren't you? Vanadise isn't your master, though."

Larc said nothing at first, but then shook his head. "You won an award for your sharp wit, didn't you?"

"Larc!" Sierra snapped. "Be kind!"

The male Dragoon mused to himself, then nodded. "I belonged to a bad dragon, Drakonis. My sister here and a friend, they killed Drakonis. I'll be joining him in death sometime, but in the meanwhile, I figured I'd stick around with Sierra and Vanadise, making sure nobody taps the Mana Stones like I did. We've got a few souls out in this world who are nothing more than puppets who can't define their own line of good or evil, and I suppose I'll try to protect those souls."

Sierra watched Larc's back, her ears pining back, and Estelle looked to her in worry. Something struck the human girl, that Larc had taken advantage of one of the aforementioned people, and she figured Sierra was worried for her brother's sense of guilt. Estelle couldn't imagine taking advantage of someone. She didn't think she had it in her to tell anyone 'no', either. That was one of the main reasons she liked living in Geo so much. There, it was mostly populated by students and staff, and the students were all a pretty kind bunch. Sometimes, she'd go out and train with one or two of them, because training in groups was so much safer than being alone. _A lesson well-learned_, she thought to herself bitterly.

Larc fell back into an even stride with them, holding out his paw for Estelle's staff. She stared blankly at it for a moment, before Larc pointed. "Pole, knot-head."

"Oh! Sorry!" Estelle said, smiling weakly, and gave it to him. The Dragoon began to give it an examination, and Sierra rolled her eyes, murmuring to the girl, "He's rude, but he's earnest. He's quite the blacksmith at heart."

They left the White Forest, Larc running his paws and his eyes over every inch of the staff. It was a crudely made weapon, and something of a hand-me-down, but it was her father's and it had been made with love. Love could be stronger than any sword. This world was going to be rebuilt on love, and from the stories she'd heard of the Savior, he spread love wherever he went. Larc handed back the weapon, his judgment made, and he took out his axe to demonstrate as he spoke.

"It's off balance, and its material is weak. See all the nicks here and there?--" Larc explained for a while, filling the rest of the afternoon, and Estelle avidly listened. They camped out at the base of the Nothern Peaks when it turned to night. Larc volunteered to keep watch, and the two girls sat close to their fire, continuing their talk before they fell asleep. Estelle had no dreams, as per the usual for her, and she woke blearily early the next morning, rested and feeling good.

Larc had killed some Rabites, and was cooking them in their fire. Sierra had stirred when the smell of roasted meat reached her, and they ate their breakfast in silence. When they were all finished, Estelle bounced to her feet and smiled happily. "So, where exactly are we going, anyway?"

Neither Dragoon replied for a moment, then Sierra joined her in standing and gestured in the general direction. "The Dragon Bone Fortress, Estelle. Vanadise told me to head that direction. I'm sure we'll run into something."

"I don't think Jajara would be cheering for joy if I were to show up on his doorstep," Larc grumbled, kicking dirt onto the fire to put it out. Sierra shrugged. Estelle wondered what he meant, but didn't ask. It probably had more to do with his bad deeds under Drakonis' missions, and Estelle didn't want to make him uncomfortable. They continued their travel, and finally, Estelle couldn't help her curiosity anymore.

"Before," she started, gathering the two Dragoons' attention. "Before, Sierra said a friend helped kill Drakonis. Who?"

"A boy named Valcrist," Sierra replied. "He's supposed to the Mana Knight. The one who's going to fix this world."

"Valcrist, huh…" Estelle repeated, eyes going very distant. "That was my brother's name."

The two turned to look at her, suddenly very interested. She shook her head before they could ask. "My brother, my Valcrist, he died when the world was falling apart. At least, we're pretty sure he was. He'd disappeared."

"The possibility exists, then," Sierra said. "That he may just be your Valcrist."

"No. Valcrist hated people," Estelle sighed, shaking her head. "He'd never want to help anyone. He wanted to live alone. He'd never want to help the world. I loved my brother, but he was a hermit by nature." The girl ran a hand through her hair, fixing it up a bit, and sighed again. "He couldn't spread love even if he tried…" Estelle shook her head once more, and the three of them continued their journey to the Bone Fortress, off to see what disturbance Vanadise had sensed. Estelle wondered though, despite her own confidence; was it truly possible that the hero, Valcrist, was her antisocial and hateful brother?

--

"Why don't you pray?" the nun asked. Valcrist was looking away respectfully, arms crossed. It was early morning at Gato. They'd stayed the night, due to Daena's non-threatening, completely non-violent request, and Valcrist had had troubles sleeping. Elazul and Escad was snoozing against the far wall of the main lobby. Escad didn't need to sleep, but being in such a religious location was making him uncomfortable. They couldn't leave until Daena gave them permission, anyway, so Valcrist let the two sleep. He looked down to the praying nun for a moment, then away again.

Some 'savior' he was. He was a person who didn't even believe in the Mana Goddess' honest intentions. He didn't trust the Wisdoms as much as he used to. In all honesty, he didn't have any honest beliefs in anything. Not in himself, not in the past, not in the future; nothing. He supposed that was just another way he had been brainwashed. If he had no past opinions on anything, he would do anything. He'd kill dragons and he'd kill faerie masters. He'd believe anything he was told, because he knew nothing else. That was Pokiehl's and Selva's doing, and his stomach churned bitterly at that thought. The first chance he got to see them…He had questions.

The side doors opened, and the creaking startled the other two awake. Elazul let out a noise and dived to his feet, while Escad pawed at his eyes and moaned about feeling weak. Valcrist smirked despite himself, but then stood more alert at who he saw exiting. It was the faerie abbess, Kallryol, and the small creature with the wide wings fluttered forward. Escad and Elazul scrambled to their feet and tried not to look lazy. The nun stood up, looking to her new abbess and bowing her head.

"Valcrist," the faerie addressed, and Valcrist nodded. What did the faerie want with her? Had he done something wrong? Or did she have a mission for him to fulfill? It was hard to act on his own free will if he was constantly being asked to do things; Daena had to understand. But the faerie moved up to him, hovering right before his face, and he tried not to move back despite feelings of personal space invasion. The abbess stayed, examining him, before she moved to his ear. She whispered to him, "I know where your sister is."

Valcrist tried his very hardest not to jump back and demand. He stayed where he was, patient, waiting for her to continue. He nodded to show he'd understood, his eyes wide. His body felt numb. Finally, finally, a direct answer to one of his problems. It had to be too good to be true. There had to be a catch. Kallryol continued, "Look away from your friends for a moment. Your eyes are too readable right now, Valcrist." He obeyed without thought, her reasoning seeming simple enough. He shut his eyes. He was trembling with anticipation, and he swore a breeze tickled him. It must've been goosebumps, which was something relatively new to him. "Your sister, Valcrist, is at the Dragon Bone Fortress. She needs your help. But you cannot bring your friends there, Valcrist. She's in a position where if they come, she'll be hurt." Valcrist's fists tightened. He wanted to see his sister, he wanted to be told who he used to be, but he knew that if he obeyed, it'd be defeating the purpose of gaining his own free will. Besides, he enjoyed having company as he traveled, and he couldn't just abandon Escad and Elazul mid-quest…

"You don't have long, Valcrist," Kallryol finished, moving back, and he opened his eyes to see her. The faerie bowed her head respectfully toward him, the nun, and then to Escad and Elazul, and then began to take her leave. Valcrist took a step after her, almost lost, and she turned back to him. "You're needed by many. But who needs you the most?"

Then Kallryol was gone, and Valcrist stood there, insides churning with doubt and debate. Escad and Elazul moved up to him, curious what he had been told. _You're needed by many. But who needs you the most?_ Two capable warriors, or his sister? What did he want to do the most? Valcrist worried his lip, before turning to Escad and Elazul. "I have business to attend to. Escad, you need to find the next monster without me. Elazul, can you go with Escad in my stead? I need to do this. I'll return to my home when I am done, and you can meet me there. Is that okay?"

"I want you to help me," Escad said stubbornly. "Whatever it is, it can wait."

"Escad!" came Daena's snap. They all turned and looked as the cat lady entered through the main doors, her tail swishing angrily. "You're crushing his independence! Valcrist, wherever you have to go--go! I'll make sure you get your privacy, and that these two selfish bastards don't follow you."

"I didn't say anything," Elazul muttered, annoyed. Valcrist gave the girl a fleeting smile, and he left at a run. Just before the doors shut behind him, he heard Daena and Escad get into an argument over Matilda's beliefs, and a brief moment of pity struck him for Elazul. Elazul knew hardly anything about the entire situation, and he felt bad for forcing the other into his position. Ah, well. Valcrist had much more important things to worry about. Namely, his sister in danger at the Fortress.

--

The lone girl sat there, next to the Wisdom, and they watched through a sphere as things unfolded on the surface. "You've set something in motion," Selva told the girl. "Your power has done this. What will you do?" But all the girl could do was begin to cry all over again. Selva consoled her, letting her turn her gaze away from the sphere, and therefore, responsibility. She had no heart to say no to Irwin. She couldn't tell the demon she loved to stop what he was doing. The demon had no self-control, and if this girl continue to do nothing, then things would get out of hand too fast.

* * *

**A/N:** The '--'s usually mean a change of perspective, just so you guys are not confused. Because Valcrist started as our main protagonist, his POV is more prominent, but as the plot develops, we will start seeing things from multiple perspectives before things are over. :3 Side note; sorry this chappie's kinda short. xD


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